Disposable urinal

ABSTRACT

1. A PLASTIC BLOW-MOLDED DISPOSABLE URINAL COMPRISING AN ELONGATED HOLLOW BODY SUBSTANTIALLY SQUARE IN CROSS SECTION, A NECK EXTENDING FROM THE BODY TAPERING TO A MOUTH SUBSTANTIALLY C2RCULAR IN CROSS SECTIN, THE AXIS OF THE NECK EXTENDING ANGULAR TO THE AXIS OF THE BODY, AN ELONGATED HOLLOW HANDLE INTEGRAL WITH THE NECK EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE BODY AND DEFINING AN OPENENDED HANDLE TO PERMIT HOOKING THE URINAL ONTO A RAIL OR THE LIKE, THE CONNECTION BETWEE THE HANDLE AND THE NECK FORMING A RADIAL WALL FACING THE OPEN END OF THE HANDLE, SAID HANDLE BEING PINCHED AND CLOSED AT THE NECK TO DEFINE A SPLASH DEFLECTOR WITHIN THE NECK FOR PREVENTING URINE FROM ENTERING THE HANDLE, SAID PINCHED PORTION OF THE HANDLE INCLUDING A CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN THE NECK AND HANDLE OF A THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE HANDLE, STIFFENING RIB MEANS ON THE CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN THE HANDLE AND NECK, TINY AIR HOLE MEANS IN SAID STIFFENING RIB MEANS TO PERMIT AIR TO ENTER THE HANDLE DURING MOLDING THEREOF, SAID HOLE MEANS BEING TOO SMALL TO PERMIT URINE TO PASS THERETHROUGH, AND A CAP INCLUDING A LOCKING PLATE COACTING WITH THE PINCHED PORTION OF THE HANDLE AND A CLOSURE PORTION FOR SNAP FIT INTO THE MOUTH.

Dec. 17, 1914 BORSE Re. 28, 278

DI SPOSABLE URINAL Griginal Filed Sept. I. 1971 2 Sheets-Sheot 1 f lflnorz 6. Borse fi-l-Eorneg8 Dec. 17, 1974 A. G. BORSE Re. 28, 278

DISPOSABLE URINAL 0rignal Filed Sept. 1. 1971 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inverzkorfon G Bo lSC-E United States Patent O 28,278 DISPOSABLE URINAL Anton G.Borse, Hinsdale, lll., assignor to Borse Plastic Products Corp.,Hinsdale, III.

Origina] No. 3,716,871, dated Feb. 20, 1973, Sex. No.

176,840, Sept. l, 1971. Application for reissue Sept.

28, 1973, Set. No. 401,661

Int. Cl. A47k 11/00; A6lg 9/00 U.S. Cl. 4-110 12 Clams Matter enclosedin heavy brackets appears in the original patent but forms no part ofthis reissue specificatino; matter printed in italics indicates theadditrons made by ressue.

ABS'I'RAC'I OF THE DISCLOSURE A disposable urina] made of plasticmaterial which is blow-molded and includes an upstanding body with aneck portion at the upper end angularly related to the body and a handleportion integrally molded with the neck portion open at one end tofacilitate hanging on 9. bed rail or the like. A cap that is separatelymolded is provided for locking relation to the handle and for closingthe mouth of the neck selectively to form an odor shield.

This invention relates in general to a urinal, and more particularly toa disposable urinal formed of plastic by a blow molding operation, andstill more particularly to a disposable urinal for use by bed-riddenpatients in a hospital or the like.

The urinal of the present nvention is an improvement over the urina]disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,479,671 primarily in that the handle isclosed to prevent urine from entering same and causing an undesirablehygienic problem and further because the cap closing the mouth of theurnal is locked onto the handle and not susceptible of falling ofi andout of reach of the patient. Moreover, the open handle is formed so thatit may be more fully utilized when hanging from a bed rail or the liketo improve the hanging stability and prevent accidental dislodgment.Further, the width of the base is narrower to provide more thighcomfort.

The disposable urinal according to the present invention is essentiallymade from a single blow molding operation of a suitable plastic, such aspolyethylene, except for the CH)P which s separately molded of aplastic, such as polyethylene, and later assembled on the handle of theurinal. T be urinal includes an upstandng body essentially square incross section, With a neck portion at the upper end extending angular tothe body and having attached thereto a handle which extends adjacent thebody to define an open-ended handle arrangernent for facilitating thehooking or otherwise supporting of the urina] onto a bedrail or thelike. The handle, while being essentially hollow, includes a pinchedportion adjacent the neck to define at the interim of the neck a splashdome deflector that prevents urine from eutering the handle. The cap forclosing the mouth of the neck includes a closure portion and ananchoring portion between which is a hinge portion. The anchor portionlocks the cap to the pinched portion of the handle thereby preventingaccidental dislodgment and separation which would render the eap uselessto a bed-ridden patient. The closure portion is formed lo facilitatesnapping into sealed relation with the mouth of the neck.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved disposable urinal for bedridden patients in hospitals or thelike.

It is another object of this invention to provide a disposable urina] ofplastc made by a blow molding operation wherein an open-ended hollowhandle is integral with the body of the urinal and closed adjacent thebody to define a splash deflector and prevent urine from entering thehollow handle.

Another object of this inventon is in the provision of a plastic blowmolded disposable urinal including a separately formed plastic caphaving means for locking it to the handle of the urinal to preventaccidental dislodgment.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention Will be apparentfrom the following detailed disclosure taken in conjunction with theaccompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like reference numerals referto like parts, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the disposable urinal according to theinvention, and showing the cap in sealed position;

FIG. 2 is a sde elevationa] view of the urinal, the opposite sde beingidentica! but of opposite band;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view illustrating the manner in which thecap s carried on the handle;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the urinal;

FIG. 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially along lime 5-5of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a somewhat enlarged, fragmentary view of the handle with thecap removed;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken along lime 7-7of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed cross-sectional view taken along lne 8-8of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the cap removed from the urinal;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view taken through the cap andsubstantially along lime 10-10 of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lime 11-11of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially along lime 12-12of FIG. 9.

Referring now to the drawings, the disposable urnal 15 of the presentinvention includes generally a main body 16, a neck 17 extending fromthe upper part of the body and terminating in a mouth 18, and a handle19. A cap 20 is lockable onto the handle 19 by means of a locking plate21 and includes a closure portlon 22 hinged to the locking plate at 23for seleetively engaging in and closing the mouth 18 to thereby act asan odor shield.

Both the urina] and cap therefor are made of a suitable plastic materialsuch as polyethylene and of such thin stock as to aid in rendering itinexpensive to produce. As above mentioned, the disposable urina] of theinvention is used by bed-ridden patients in hospitals and other similarinstitutions, it being intended that one urina] be used by a singlepatienl and thereafter disposed of, thereby eliminating sterilizationproblems and the possible transmittal of infections that may come aboutby faulty sterilization procedures.

The body 16 ineludes opposed side walls 27, a front wall 28 and a rearwall 29, all of which stand upright. A bottom wall 31 is slightlydepressed centrally to define a circumferential ridge 32 whichfacilitates the formation of a surface that is capable of sittingsquarely on a flat supporting surface for the urina], and which isespecially necessary for a blow molded product. The side walls 27include measuring graduations 33 for measuring the amount of urine inthe urinal, it being appreciated that the polyethylene material issuflciently translucent so that the level of urine therein can beascertained when viewing from the outside of the container.

The front wall 28 is made flat so that it can be set on a horizontalsurface if desired, with the handle 19 in the up position and the mouth18 directed upwardly. As noted particularly in FIG. 4, thecross-sectional geometry of the body 16 is essentially squarc, therebyreducing the width of the base or bottom wall 31 to render the urinalmore comfortable when used between the thighs.

The axis of the neck 17 is angularly related to the longitudinal axis ofthe body 16 to facilitate usage and especially when the urinal is usedin a substantially horizontal position. Further, it can be appreciatedthat the neck 17 tapers from the body 16 toward the mouth 18 wherein themouth is sized as a circular opening substantially smaller than thecross seetion of the body 16.

It is an important feature of the present invention to provide thehandle 19 in hollow form, FIG. 7, while closing off the interior of thehandle to the interior of the urinal to define a splash deflector 37which prevents urine from splashing into the handle and possibly causinga hygenic problem where a patient is using the urina] for several days.T accomplish closing of the handle during the blow molding operation,the handle is pinched adja cent the neck, as seen more clearly in FIGS.6 to 8 to define a thickened connecting link 39 with reinforcing ribs40, the latter of which have pin holes 41 formed therein capable ofallowing air to pass into the handle 19 during formation of same in theblow molding process. These pin holes 4l are not of suflcient size topermt any urine lo pass therethrough during usage. The link 39 with thereinforcing ribs 40 extending therealong and between the handle and theneck of the urina! define a sturdy connection between the handle and theneck. This also permits the handle to be formed by the inexpensivemanner possible in the blow molding process, and provides a handle whichis comfortable to grasp by the band of a user.

The inside wall 45 of the handle 19 extends substantially parallel tothe rear wall 29 of the urinal body, and where they merge at their uppcrends a full radius corner wall 46 is formed to permit the full open areabetween the handle and body to be utilized when hanging the urinal on abed rail or the like, such as shown in phantom and indicated by thenumeral 47. Such contributes to greater stability in the hanging of theurinal to prevent accidental dislodgment.

The cap which is suitably molded of a polyethylene of such thin stock asto be readily flexible, selectively tighily closes 011 and seals themouth 18 of the urinal, and is locked into place on the handle by thecoaction of the locking plate 21 With the pinched portion of the handledefined at the connecting link 39. In this connection, the locking plateincludes a continuous sornewhat ring-shaped reinforcing rib 50 withinwhich is located a flexible gripper or flexible gripping flange 51having a centrally located oblong opening 52. The longitudinal dimensionof the opening is greater than the dimension between the inside wall 45and outside wall 48 of the handle 19, while the Width of the opening 52is less than the dimension between the opposite sides 53 of the handle19. Accordingly, when applying the cap to the urinal, the opening 52 ofthe locking plate is aligned With the end of the handle 19, and as thelocking plate is pushed up onto the handle, flexing of the flexiblegripper 51 is expericnced to increase the size of the opening 52. Whenthe flexible gripper 51 reaches the area of the pinchcd portion of thehandle at the connecting link 39, the gripper springs back to its normalposition, as seen particularly in FIG. 5, to look the locking plate andcap in place and prevent accidental dislodgment and separation of thecap and urina1 when the closure portion 22 is removed from the mouth.

The closure portion 22 is somewhat cup-shaped in cross section, as seenin FIG. 1], wherein it includes a bottom wall 57, an annular upstandingwall 58, and a lip 59. The bottom wall includes a stifening ridge 60which is circular in form and a centrally located bottom 61 thatfacilitates the insertion of the closure portion into the mouth of theurinal. An annular outwardly projecting sealing portion 62 is formed onthe upstanding wall S8, having an outer diameter slightly larger thanthe inside diameter of the mouth 18 so that upon insertion of theclosure portion 22 into the mouth, a slight contraction of the closuremembcr is experienced in order to obtain a tight sealing arrangementbetween the closure member and the mouth. When inserting the closureportion into the mouth, a finger or thumb can be pressed against thebottom 61 to facilitate insertion. When removing the closure porticofrom the mouth, the lip 59 may be grasped to facilitato case in removal.When the closure portion is away from the mouth, it Will be appreciatedthat the locking plate 21 maintains the cap on the urinal in readinessfor further use when desired.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention, but it is understood that this application is to be limitedonly by the scope of the appended claims.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A plastic blow-molded disposable urinal comprising an elongatedhollow body substantially square in cross section, a neck extending fromthe body tapering to a mouth substantially circular in cross section,the axis of the neck extendng angular to the axis of the body, anelongated hollow handle integral with the neck extcnding substantiallyparallel to the body and defining an openended handle to permit hookingthe urinal onto a rail or the like, the connection between the handleand the neck forming a radial wall facing the open end of the handle,said handle being pinched and closed at the neck to define a splashdeflector within the neck for preventing urine from entering the handle,said pinched portion of the handle including a connecting link betweenthe neck and handle of a thickness substantially less than the thicknessof the handle, stiflening rib means on the connecting link between thehandle and neck, tiny air hole means in said stiffening rib means toperrnit air to enter the handle during molding thereof, said hole meansbeing too small lo permit urine to pass therethrough, and 21 capinclnding a locking plate coacting with the pinched portion of thehandle and a closure portion for snap fit into the mouth.

2. The combination of claim 1, wherein said locking plate includes aflexible gripping flange having an opening therethrough with a Widthless than that of said handle to grip at the pinched portion and lockthe cap on the urina], and a stilfening ridge surrounding the grippingflange.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said closure portion includes acup-shaped portion with an annular sealing ridge having a diameterslightly larger than the diameter of the mouth to provide a tight sealwhen in place.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein the closure portion includes alifting lip surrounding the cup-shaped portion stopping the inscrtion ofthe cup into the mouth and defining a hand engaging portion forfacilitating removal of the closure portion from the mouth.

5. The combination of claim 4, wherein the center of the shaped portionincludes a dome-shaped button to facilitate proper seating of theclosure portion in the mouth.

6. The combination of claim 5, wherein the stock thickness of the cap isless than that of the body and neck.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the urinal is made ofpolyethylene.

8. The combination of claim 7, Wheren the polyethylene is translucent,and measuring graduations are provided on the side walls of the body tomeasure the liquid level therein.

9. A plastic blow-molded disposable urina! comprz'sing an elongatedhollow body substantially square in cross section, a neck extendng fromthe body tapering Io a mouth substanrially circular in cross secton, theaxis of the neck extending angular 10 the axis of the body, an

and handle of a thickness substantally less than the thirk- 10 ness ofthe handle. al cap including a locking pla!e coacfing wth lhe pinchedportz'on of the handle and a dosare portion far smzp fil into the mouth.and said locking plate includng a flexible grpping flange having unopening therethrough with a width less [han that of mid handle lo gripal lhe pinched partion and lock the cap onto the urinal.

10. The combination of clam 9, wherein sal'a' locking pla!e includes astifiening rib around said gripping flange.

II. The combination of clazm 10, wherein the stock thickness 0 the cap sless than that of the body and neck.

12. The combinatz'on o claim II, wheren the body is translucent, amimeasuring gradualions are provided on the side walls of the body Iomeasure the Iiquz'd leve! therein.

Referenccs Cited The following references, cited by the Exarniner, areof record in the patented file of this patent or the original patent.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 241,863 5/1881 Hopkins 4-110 805,312 11/1905Meinecke 4-110 2,582,398 1/1952 Siegenthal 4-110 2,815,511 12/1957Friedman et al. 4-110 3,232,495 2/1966 Schneicler 220-94 A 3,244,1484/1966 L0ng 220 94 A X 3.373,897 3/1968 Haines 220-94 A X 3,422,4631/1969 Lowry 4 110 3,471,869 10/1969 Segal 4-110 3,524,488 8/1970Scholle 215 1 C X 3,479,671 11/1969 Beich 4 110 HENRY K. ARTIS, PrimaryExaminer U.S. Cl. X.R. 220-94 A

